Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Pauley for Tuesday

So much for my debate question. The matter has been settled. Manager Terry Francona said earlier today that David Pauley will take the ball on Tuesday in New York.

I’m a little surprised. I figured they might have one of the young lefties take the ball in the Bronx. This will probably be it for Pauley, as I’m thinking Wells will return for a Sunday home start against Texas.

In other news, Lowell is back in the lineup tonight so i guess his hamstring is fine.

I love the pitching matchup tonight. Schilling and Kenny Rogers. This is the first time I’ve been in Detroit for a while when there was actually a buzz in this town about the Tigers. It’s good to see. This has always been a good baseball town when the team is playing well, which is why it hasn’t been a good baseball town for a long, long time.

There’s something subtle about this park. It’s not one of the more glamorous new yards, but I think that it gets the job done.

Later,

Ian.

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28 Comments

Oh boy. It’s going to be another trying start for Pauley. A Double A pitcher, who has never pitched in Triple A, is now expected to pitch at Yankee Stadium of all places, with 55,000+ people wanting to give the kid a good spanking. Tough stuff to ask. He did perform well, for 4 innings at least, against the Blue Jays, a tougher offensive team than the Yanks. Wish him all the luck. He’ll need it. Hopefully, Jeter, Damon, Posada, Mo, etc. are all out that day, maybe he can steal a victory.

Great news Lowell is back. The major concern now is the depth of this starting staff. Lester and Hansen have some time to go before they are ready. I think a trade/the like is imminent. It is almost conclusive that Clement is a lost cause and Wells, what else?

I am a Yankee fan, but don’t draw any conclusions from that I’m just here to ask a question. I’ve always respected the Red Sox as a team since they’ve always been hard players and have had some great competitors on their team. I just wanted to ask what you guys thought about Manny. He’s a great player, no doubt about it. But he’s consistantly tried to leave the team, and I just don’t know how I’d feel about a player on the Yankees who just didn’t want to be there. Do you guys care at this point? Is it just Manny being Manny?

Actually, I thought Pauley did Ok in his start. He is a ground ball pitcher and with gold glove and potential gold glove players in the infield that is what you want the pitchers to do. I am more worried about the Clement start than this start.

I’m not sure about anyone else in here, but at this point I think are immune to the trade requests that Manny has asked for.
There is no way I’d pretend to know what’s in a guy’s head, but I just think Manny is so good at what he does, he might just get bored and look for a new challenge or he just likes the drama. Every interview I’ve heard or read about him basically says he is probably one of most “different” type of person you would ever meet.

I would hate to be the jinx in the group, but according to Francona and everyone else on the club, Manny has been nothing but a model teammate. Showing up early, doing his job, and I’ve even seen him hustle on a double play ball this year!

I love watching him play. He’s so effortless in everything that he does and he just looks like he’s having fun.

Whoever coined the phrase Manny being Manny inadvertantly came up with the best response when you are sick and tired of answering a question. You can just say “Well, that’s just So and So being so and so.”

On another note, I’m getting a little concerned. I haven’t seen Daniel Fagan or ellen in here in a while. Hope everything is all right.

Good news about Lowell tonight. I mentioned earlier in the day that maybe this could be the weekend that JT Snow comes out and produces a spark, but I’m a lot more comfortable now that we get to show our true starting 9.

Ok first things first, if Pauleys pitching against the Yanks then all I can say is go man go. He will have a little more experience all though I cannot imagine it can be compared to what he will face in new york as far as atmosphere. I think the team gets behind him though. For the yankee fan who asked about Manny, I have never been a big fan of guys watching a ball leave the park while standing at home. That being said it seems to be much more prevelent now than in days passed. As far as his constantly wanting a trade I have to say that as long as he has been under contract he has performed. I am glad to have him, especially with the way he is playing defense.

Is it possible that David Pauley is being asked to stick around for another start because they feel he’ll get the most benefit out of it? What I mean is, he’s had one start in the majors, and while it’s all still fresh in his mind, they can go over what he did right, what he needs to work on, and what adjustments he needs to make, and he can take that instruction and put it into practice in the same situation instead of implementing it against minor league hitters with amateur umpires. Just a thought.

Vis-a-vis Manny, I don’t have the foggiest idea what to think about his trade requests or what induces them. My gut feeling is that once he retracts them and says he wants to stay in Boston, he’s sincere about it, because he looks like he’s giving it his all on the field. The cynics might say he plays hard so that other teams will want him if a trade opportunity does present itself, but I think it’s because Manny truly loves to play the game. I don’t have any qualms about a player on the team wanting to be traded, as long as he respects the fact that he’s being paid to play baseball and honors his contract with genuine effort.

to goredsox: Thanks for the concern!! We had so many games in a row that I just tried to catch up on everything else that I had neglected. But never fear, even though I didn’t post yesterday, I did read.. I was kind of thrown by Ian’s ?. I didn’t know much about Lester and Hansen. So I figured I’d be a student and learn from y’all. I did. But, I really thought that Pauley didn’t do too badly (I don’t know about you, but throw me from AA to the bigs with the Sox and the best I’m gonna do is throw up, sweat and shake alot!!!) and figured that maybe a “baptism by fire” or really teaching him how to swim with the big boys by throwing him into the deep end of the pool might work. Seems Francona thinks that way as well. (I only hope there aren’t too many Yankee sharks in the pool that night).
I’ve seen a couple of people state that Pauley never threw above AA. I might be wrong but didn’t Dontrelle Willis come stright from AA?? Stranger things have happened than for him to do o.k..

Tonights game has me a bit worried, as I’ve never seen Kenny Rogers pitch anything but a lawn chair. i hope that “Curt the Hurt” is in top form tonight, and I hope that Mr. Double hasn’t hurried himself back too soon. I love watching him swing that bat!!!, (as well as Papi,Manny,Trot et al). i was looking at the DEE-troits stats today, We seem to have really comparable stats. OBP,Slugging,etc. seem pretty even. It seems it always comes down to who takes advantage of the breaks that are presented them. Let’s just hope that were the ones that do that tonight. Well, time to get in uniform and get my dolls out. Anybody seen my pins??? GO OUR SOX!!! Kick buttocks!!!!!

Hey is anyone else watching the game on mlb.com??? 1ST I have no audio, then no video, then neither and now they’ve got the feed for the jays vs the rays on…. NOT EXACTLY WHAT I’M LOOOKING FOR!!! WILL SOME ONE PLEASE KEEP ME POSTED???? thanks, ellen

YOUK-AN-DO-IT!!!! and he did. He REALLY made up for that error in the prior inning…. GO YOUK!! Jonathan “LIGHTS OUT” Papelbon wasn’t too shabby either, and I’m glad Mikey came back tonight.

WHERE IS DANIEL????? I’m beginning to wonder if maybe one of those Yankee fans didn’t bring harm to our mr fagan. COME BACK DANIEL, we miss your wit and your insightful insight!! (THAT SHOULD BRING HIM BACK)

I have to say I thought we were gone, for awhile there. Mr. Lowell gave my mind a little peace. Thank you SIR!!! I said a week or so back that I was getting over my nerves with Seanez and Tavarez. Tonight helped alot. i must say that I was not as worried about our mid guys tonight. Kenny Rogers (is a good country singer) worried me. But…. we won JON-BON is perfect still, and on we go to tomorrow. Is tomorrow Wake?? I’m not sure.

GO SOX, GREAT GAME TONIGHT. THE NATION RESTS EASIER WITH YOU AT OUR HELM.

Who knew the Greek God of Walks could hit clutch jacks too? I am more than impressed.

As far as Pauley, I was a huge fan of his after his first game (as you guys probably know). Still tho, this is ALOT to ask of him. I think it’s an ok decision overall because bringing Lester or Hansen up would be pretty much the same situation (i.e. plunking a young, inexperienced pitcher in the middle of the greatest rivalry in sports). I wish Pauley incredible amounts of luck.

And you know whats strange? I feel more confident going into that game with Pauley pitching than i have with Clement or DiNardo all season.

First, what a game! As I sit here trying to think of hyperbole fitting to lavish upon Papelbon, I am failing miserably. What a stud. When this lineup is healthy and firing on all cylinders, it really is one of the best in the league, maybe THE best.

Second, about the rotation. I read so much baseball I can’t keep it all straight. But I read today or yesterday that if Boston were willing to part with a role player and one of the young guns (aka, Lester), they might could woo Dontrelle from the Fish. Has anybody heard anything similar?

sorry, don’t count me in on the Pauley fan train. it was pretty painful watching him in TOR. we’re lucky the bats were out that night. 11 hits in 5/6 innings? ouch. and walking someone home is never a good thing.

Mrs. Cullum, my dear, don’t you know Yankee fans are all talk. As a woman I’m sure you already know “it’s the quiet ones you have to worry about”. (I don’t know that for a fact, Ellen, but I’ve heard enough women say it throughout my lifetime that they have brainwashed me into believing it, as well as “they’re ALL alike(men, that is!)”!” Lord have mercy on us! Who knows why you little angels ever bother pairing up with us? However, Ellen, before I get myself into any deeper do-do in this gender minefield (how in the world did I stray onto that subject!?), I have a bone to pick with you (Jesus !!! Terrible choice of words !!! SORRY EVERYBODY !!!)…rather I have another issue to discuss with you!

You ruined my response to those posters who voiced concerns about our mutual welfare by posting early and telling the truth about why YOU had been off the blog for a while. I was going to respond with the following:

“Actually, dthatcher, you weren’t too far off center with your jest. And, gosox red, I figured Ellencullum would be missed if she were ever to disappear, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that fellow posters would ever miss me in a million years! So, your concern IS touching. To put everyone’s mind to rest, we’ll be back soon! You see, Ellen and I both got drunk the other night, fell off our respective bar stools, and are overcoming one h=e=double hockey sticks-of-a-hangover…w…o…w !”

So, you see what you spoiled for me, Ellen!?

We could be chatting now in the wee hours of the morning, but…and, of course, I’m just speculating… you have probably exceeded your limit on White Russians or Tom Collins … and passed out…

However, the way that first game in Detroit ended, I’m sure you were elated and streaking around your living room screaming “yoooooouukkk”! “yoooooouukkk”! But, then, again, Ellen, a lot of people drink when they’re HAPPY, right ?? !! So who knows?

Honest to God, to tell the truth, I really DID type that phrase in question above before I realized the possible duality of meaning. Instead of deleting it and just going with the following replacement, I decided to leave it … go with it –not at all directly aimed at Ellen personally–but to feign some Freudian slip indicating the subconsciously diseased one-track mind of ALL men who women say are ALL alike. I think I probably shoulda possibly perhaps left it out…maybe? If I have to expend this many words to explain what I meant,…. it’s probably neither funny nor appropriate nor worth it. So, tell you what I’m a gonna do!–even though I was raised a Catholic…before I became a heathen, I somehow still remember my prayers verbatim, so I’ll say 50 **** Marys and 50 Our Fathers! Please feel free to phone in and add to my penance, according to the degree I may have offended you. Sorry. I’ll do it!

As I referred to myself as a heathen, those of alternate beliefs…including those who believe in nothing at all, PLEASE DON’T TAKE OFFENSE AT THIS! It was merely an attempt to provide you with a few laughs at MY expense !!!! I cherish my–as well as yours– private prayers, including those recited so many times in my early childhood that they became frozen in my brain…and are still as precious to me now…as they ever were. Goodnight, folks. BLESS YOU!!! Thanks for tolerating me(so far), Ellen. And, when you awake mid-morning, may I suggest a couple of raw eggs dumped into a tall glass of warm buttermilk with lemon, eggnog, and tobasco sauce?

Actually, Ellen, this is a test.

If that doesn’t make you THROW UP !, then you didn’t drink last night!

I think going with Pauley now is the better choice, but not because he is better or more ready than Lester or Hansen. It is the fact that he is not that makes him the better choice. Francona said he doesn’t think it will hinder Pauley’s development. Even if he doesn’t pitch that well he will have another year or two in the minors and Pauley knows that. Someone the other day (prior to his first start) said something like, the fact that he is not the next guy in line that even if he is shaky it might not damage his confidence as much because it is such a big jump for him. When Lester and Hansen are brought up I think they will be eased into their roles instead of just thrown in as a starting pitcher. Similiar to Papelbon last year who played 17 games but only started 3. I think it is good to protect our youngsters and bring them up by choice when they are ready and not by necessity.

Robn, I’m sure there isn’t a little ole lady censor who stays there 24 hours a day, eagle eyeing every single word of all our posts, leaping up from her cot in the back of the room at 4 a.m. as a result of an alarm going off indicating someone is trying to sneak a dirty word over the air. As you surmised, I imagine certain questionable vocabulary is programmed into the computer to weed out marginally profane possibilities. I was merely having some fun the other day by pretending I was verbally jousting with a real human censor on the other end of my computer. I know this because some words with more than one nuance of intended meaning are @$#%&*’D in their present tense, while they pass through the screening cleanly in their past tense. You KNOW our little ole third grade schoolmarm, WOULDN’T allow that. Another reason I know is because I have been able to get creative phoenetically with ugly words…and gotten them through. I would otherwise be proud to give you an example of one I squeezed by in the past, but I have reformed…so I DON’T DO THAT anymore; and, Jeez, I just absolutely detest recidivism!

AND DON’T ANY OF YOU START, **&%*#$* YOU !!!!!

WHAT BROUGHT THIS UP IS THAT I NOTICED AFTER I HAD ALREADY POSTED MY FIRST POST, THE LITTLE OLE LADY (I still like to pretend she’s back there behind my screen harrassing my best creative effort to express myself!) BLEEPED ME AGAIN FOR APPARENTLY INADVERTENTLY TYPING THE WRONG FORM OF “HALE”. INSTEAD OF TYPING “HAIL” MARY, I HAD TO HAVE MISTYPED “H=E-double hockey sticks” (see! that’s another way you can get your point across that’s quite acceptable) MARY. AND THE LITTLE OLE LADY LEAPED OUT OF BED AND “GONGED” ME !

I figure that Terry Francona and staff are willing to go with Pauley, and that they consider it one of the best alternatives, because he sinks the ball so well. He pitches his way out of most jams before they become truly calamitous by producing ground balls, and, thereby, double plays. I, too, feel better about Pauley pitching than I do about Clement or DiNardo pitching. If you want to see calamitous, start either of those two against the Yankees. At this point, I almost get bilious at the mention, at the mere thought, of Jeter or Rivera. Is there anybody in Major League Baseball who’s man enough to be able to get Jeter out, or to hit off Rivera, with anything resembling some kind of consistency? The Orioles’ vaunted closer Ray is the latest failure at it. I’ve been saying I’d like to see Rivera vs. Bonds, but I realized last night that the matchup I’d like to see most is Rivera vs. Jeter! The NYY domination and monopoly is baseball’s biggest turn-off for me. (Though it HAS been a nice 5-year drought!) But then, invariably, a new, irresistibly fascinating situation and set of possibilities, like young David Pauley going against the Yankees next week (David vs. Goliath), presents itself, and my interest is sparked anew. That’s how the great game of baseball keeps me always coming back for more. David Pauley, I hope you exceed everyone’s wildest expectations on Tuesday.I hope ya moiduh dem!

Without upsetting anyone on this blog I should hope to say that while I certainly enjoy everyones insight of the games and the team, I also enjoy being able have some fun on this blog. I think as long as we can do so without adverse results for anyone than we can continue to read all of those that we choose to and avoid reading those that we do not care to read. Daniel, I have to believe that you are a pesron who never had a problem with the essay writing in school. Anyway to all of you folks who contribute to this blog, keep up the good work, as I enjoy reading them all.

I guess I’m on the fence about Pauley. On the one hand, he can’t really fail, because nobody seriously expects him to succeed. On the other hand, his performance against the Jays and his overall lack of experience leads me to believe his isn’t really any better an alterative than Lester or Hansen or Alvarez. And as far as Clement and DiNardo, I’d still take Clement over Pauley, but in my opinion it’s a toss-up between Lenny D and Davey P.

Regarding the “signal to noise ratio” (I like the way you put that, goredsox06), I was a little surprised that our Danny Boy didn’t have at least a little bit to say about the subject of baseball, but it’s a free country. Any of us are free to change the station or hit the mute button for a post or two.

It’s hard to believe that Youkilis can run on the field with the size of his nuggets. He’s the current “King of Clutch” on the Redsox right now! Check out these stats… “Close and Late” 8 for 19 (.421 BA, .522 OBP). “Men in Scoring Position with 2 Out” 11 for 25 (.440 BA). That didn’t even count last nights game (man on first, 2 outs). Lets take some time everyone to revel in these magnificant accomplishments!

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